Mail-bag hanger



(No Model.)

D.. D. GOTT.

- MAIL BAG HANGER. No. 471,270.

Patented Mar. 22,1892.

Fig? 1.

uttorn e y,

DESCOMB D. GOTT, OF LA GRANGE, OHIO.

MAI L-BAG HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,270, dated March 22, 1892.

Application filed August 3l, 1891. Serial No. 404,307. (No model.)

To all whom. t may concern,.-

Be itknown that I, DESCOMB D. GOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Grange, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Hangers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to mail-bag hangers of the variety designed to hold mail-bags in position to be taken off by rapidly-running trains; andthe object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of these 4hangers to the end that they may give a better service. I am of course aware that different forms of such hangers or holders for mailbags have been made and patented; but I am not aware that a hanger has ever been known or used possessing the elements or constructi ed to operate as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is side elevation of my improved hanger or holder, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof considerably enlarged.

In the drawings,A represents a post orstan dard for the attachment of my improved hanger, and o. and b are laterallyextending bars adapted to rest in the position shown in full lines when the bag is hung thereon and to gravitate into the position shown in dotted lines when the bag is removed. The manner of pivoting and connecting these bars is not new with me and does not constitute a part of my invention, and therefore a more specific or detailed description thereof is not required. So far as my attachment to these bars is concerned the construction on both is the same, except that the parts are inverted, and therefore a description of one will answer for both. In the front end of each of said bars a b I form a horizontal slot open at its front and sides, and in this slotI secureahorizontally-pivoted and swinging arm O. This arm has a flattened head c, with circular edges, and preferably is made considerably wider horizontally than the arm itself, so as to give a good bearingsurface to said arm and to insure the operation thereof as is intended. A suitable pin c passes through the parts and holds them in working position. Normally the said arm is designed to be in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 2, when it is shown as extending straight to the front, and on its outer extremity is secured a flat spring D, bent substantially as shown and fastened to the arm at its shank. The free end of the spring bears against the said arm, and a ring d, connected with the mail-bag, is shown as confined within said spring. Now this being the position of said parts when 'a mail-bag is hung on the arms O, as shown, and the said arms being pivoted to swing horizontally, they will swing in the direction of the moving train when the bag is grasped by the usual appliance, audit carries the parts around, say, as far as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, or thereabout, at which point the bag is stripped o the arms. The spring D yields sufficiently for this purpose, but is strong enough to secure the bag on the arms against the wind or the draftproduced by the train; but for obvious reasons it is desirable that the arms C should always be in direct working position, and in order that this may occur automatically after a bag has been taken off I employ a spring E at each side of the said arm to throw said arm to the center, whichever Way it has been carried to remove a bag. These springs, preferably, are made of fiat steel secured to the bars aand b, respectively, at the side thereof, and curving slightly around the head c bear against the arm in front of the head. Then in order to afford a stop for each spring and for the horizontal movement of the said arm in either direction and to furnish a housing for the mechanism I provide a casing G, which is rigidly fixed to each of the bars ab and extends laterally therefrom and to the front thereof, substantially as shown. This casing has an open slot g at its front equal to the movement of the arm to either side and the end of the slot forming the stop for the arm.

At the left of Fig. 1 is a part II, which we will assume is the side of a car, and h is the device employed by the mail-man for catching and removing the bag. When the bag is grasped by this device at about its center, the arms C respond instantly to the rapid movement of the car, and swinging to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, surrender the bag. This done, the bars a and b gravitate to the position shown in dotted lines,\vhere they remain until used again.

Havingthus described my invention, WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

l. In a mail-bag l1anger,apivoted support ing-arm for the bag, having a tongue pivoted in the outer en d thereof, in combination with a casing inclosing said outer end and having lateral stops for the tongue, and springs Within said casing bearing against opposite sides of said tongue, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-bag-hanger, a bag-supporting arm having a horizontal slot in its end and a tongue pivoted in said slot, said tongue having a disk-shaped head, in combination with a casing inciosin g the head of said tongue and the arm about the same and having stops, between Which said tongue is freeto sWin g, and

springs bearingagainst the sides of the tongue, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-bag hanger, a pivoted arm, a casing G on the extremity of said arm, having sides Haring laterally from said arm and provided at its front With a slot q, extending beyond the sides ot the arm at both sides thereof, and the ends of the slot forming stops for the tongue C, in combination with tongue Cprovided with a fiat circular head c, pivoted in the said arm, and springs E Within the said casing bearing against opposite sides of the tongue, substantially as described.

fitness my hand to the foregoing specification.

DESCOMB D. GOTT.

Witnesses:

N. L. MCLANE,

II. T. FISHER. 

